Auto Club Finals Day 3

10:11 a.m. - I just arrived at the track and it's another beautiful day in Pomona.
Today we have two video interviews planned. We will talk to John Force and how he is doing in the recovery progress, We also have a video with Antron Brown.
I want to apologize for our lack of videos on Friday. We did the interview, but had an equipment malfunction that didn't pick up any of the audio for the interview on John Medlen and U.S. Army Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Antron Brown.
11:21 a.m. - I've just learned that David Powers Motorsports have called a press conference for 1:15 p.m, and a source close to the situation told me that U.S. Army rider Antron Brown is scheduled to appear. Does this mean Brown, who tested the Matco Tools dragster for Powers in Las Vegas earlier this week, will be in that car next season? I guess we we find out.
11:30 a.m. - Pro Stock entrant Kurt Johnson suffers a parachute malfunction and drives his ACDelco Chevrolet into the sand pit at the end of the track. He is OK, but his car may need some work.
"I was trucking down the track and hit the chutes," Johnson said. "I kept waiting, waiting...But I guess they were just flapping out the back end. We're going to have our work cut out for us."
11:55 a.m. - NHRA president Tom Compton honors Auto Club CEO Tom McKernan with a permanent plaque that will be placed near the skybox suites elevator.
"Drag racing really started in Southern Caliofrnia," McKernan said. "It's a great honor (to receive this award). It's a little bitter sweet, because this is the year we lost Wally (Parks, NHRA founder who died this fall). Wally was such an icon and obviously found NHRA and everything we have. It's a great honor to support him."
1:11 p.m. - "Hot" Rod Fuller, who began the day out of the 16-car field, just bumped his way into the show with a mid-4.5-second run. He moved up to the No. 8 position and will face Tony Schumacher in the first round, if the ladder stays the same.

1:20 p.m. - The American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association honors Funny Car veteran with it's Rick Mears "Good Guy" Award.
"This is such an honor, especially when you consider who has won this award," said Scelzi, the first drag racer to receive the award. "It's such an honor, a pleasure. I can't say enough."
Scelzi also told a story about how he was tutored by Roger Mears prior to running the Long Beach Grand Prix celebrity race a few years back. He was told my Mears that if they stuck together on the race track, they could race for the top two spots. But the plan backfired when Mears banged into the Scelzi earlier in the race.
"I asked Roger after (the race)," Scelzi said. "He said, 'Scelzi, you never beleive another racer on race day.'"

1:45 p.m. - David Powers Motorsports announces that Brown will drive the Matco Tools dragster next year. Brown visited the Shav Glick tMedia Center to discuss his new job.
"This goes back to growing up in New Jersey and going to the old Summer Nationals in Englishtown," Brown said. "I can remember watching Shirley Muldowney and I was at the final round where Don Garlits flipped his car. From then, I was hooked on Top Fuel drag racing. I always wanted to do it, I just never knew if I would have the shot, the chance of doing it.
"I always loved motorcycles, so I thought that would be a way of stepping my way into the sport. But I never thought I would be 31-years-old and have my chance."

2 p.m. - Photographer Raul Roa and myself visit injured John Force with several other members of the media. It was natural Force, who talked about his accident, his recovery and his thoughts of returning to action next season.
"I'll do whatever it takes (to return), said Force, who was involved in a horrific crash in late September. "I just want to be out here."
Why"
It's simple for Force, and he used NHRA founder Wally Parks and former Los Angeles Times motor sports writer Shav Glick, who both died in October, as an example.
"Why would Wally, at 94, fight through the pain and continue to come to the track? Why would Shav continue to come out after he retired?

"Because they loved it. I don't need a pay check to get me out here. I love it, like Wally, like Shav."
But Force also said that if the cars he's building for the 2008 season are not ready by the time the Winternationals rolls around in February, he will park his Funny Car stable.

"If the car's not ready, I'm going home," Force said. "It's not about all about wins. It used to be, but now when I watch my cars run down the track, I don't care if (it) wins or loses. I look to see if Ashley (Force, daughter), Robert (Hight, son-in-law) are OK. "
More of this interview will be uploaded on our website at sgvtribune.com/sports.

3:35 p.m. - Dave Connolly visits the media center after scoring the Pro Stock pole with a 6.648.
Ironically, the Ohio resident wasn't trying to get low e.t.. Instead, his team put some extra weight on the car in hopes of qualifying opposite points leader Greg Anderson, who can clinch the title if he stays with two rounds of either second-place Jeg Coughlin Jr. or Connolly.
"We were hoping to slow the car down and (qualify) seventh," Connolly said. "But it just didn't work out.
"We'll just hope the competition can beat (Anderson) and we have to do our job.
"If Greg Anderson takes the trophy, we still had a great season."
3:58 p.m. - Chino Hills' Tony Pedregon solidifies his stranglehold on the Funny Car class when Scott Kalitta smokes the tires near halftrack, which cinches Pedregon's spot in Sunday's 16-car field. Pedregon now clinch the championship if he beats top-qualifier Jeff Arend, of San Dimas, in the first round. Second-place Scelzi now must hope Pedregon loses to Arend, while the Fresno resident must win the race while setting a national e.t. record.
"I've been sweating bullets for the past month," Pedregon said. "It's dodging bullets that makes you feel real uneasy. I had a lot of faith in Dickie (Venables, crew chief). We are really happy to control our own destiny, we didnt' want to leave it up to the other guys.
"I want to bring this home to the people of Southern California. We havent' done it yet, but we're in the show, so we have a much better chance."

5:01 p.m.. - Tony Schumacher visits the media center after scoring the Top Fuel pole with a 4.508 pass at 320.58 mph.
"It's out of our hands," said Schumacher, who needs to go three rounds further than Fuller to win the championship. "I'm going to go to sleep tonight and I'll get up in the morning, and I don't even know who I race.
"The bump is a (4.58). This is no easy deal to win. We'll just get up in the morning and try to win the championship. It's still open. It's a long shot, but its still open. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen."